Mario Batali

F&W Star Chef

Megachef Mario Batali shares the cooking technique everyone should know, his favorite cookbook and a key shortcut to cooking an impressive meal for a crowd.

What’s your most requested recipe?
Our lasagne Bolognese or our tortellini en brodo both capture the greatness of Italian seasonal tradition. Although they require a lot of time and handwork, they’re not too difficult technically.

What’s your favorite cookbook of all time?
Lynne Rossetto Kasper’s The Splendid Table captures all of the real stuff in Emilia-Romagna, my favorite part of Italia.

What’s one technique everyone should know?
Everyone should know how to make a basic pasta dough.

What's one great entertaining tip?
Make it more about product than technique: Source a crazy good ham, or search out the very best polenta and make it the star of the dish.